Are We in Revolutionary Times?

Victor Davis Hanson

Legally, President Obama has reiterated the principle that he can pick and choose which U.S. laws he wishes to enforce (see his decision to reverse the order of the Chrysler creditors, his decision not to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, and his administrations contempt for national-security confidentiality and Senate and House subpoenas to the attorney general). If one individual can decide to exempt nearly a million residents from the law  when he most certainly could not get the law amended or repealed through proper legislative or judicial action  then what can he not do? Obama is turning out to be the most subversive chief executive in terms of eroding U.S. law since Richard Nixon.

Politically, Obama calculates that some polls showing the current likely Hispanic support for him in the high 50s or low 60s would not provide enough of a margin in critical states such as Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado, or perhaps also in Florida and Virginia, to counteract the growing slippage of the independent vote and the energy of the clinger/tea-party activists. Thus, what was not legal or advisable in 2009, 2010, or 2011, suddenly has become critical in mid-2012. No doubt free green cards will quickly lead to citizenship and a million new voters. Will it work politically? Obama must assume lots of things: that all Hispanics vote as a block in favoring exempting more illegal aliens from the law, and are without worry that the high unemployment rate hits their community among the hardest; that black voters, stung by his gay-marriage stance, will not resent what may be seen as de facto amnesty, possibly endangering his tiny (and slipping) lead in places like Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. And because polls show overwhelming resistance to non-enforcement of immigration law, Obama also figures that the minority who supports his recent action does so far more vehemently than the majority who opposes it. Time will tell; but my gut feeling is that his brazen act will enrage far more than it will delight  and for a variety of different reasons. As with all his special-interest efforts  the Keystone cancellation, war-on-women ploy, gay-marriage turnabout, and now de facto amnesty  Obama believes dividing Americans along class, ethnic, gender, and cultural lines will result in a cobbled together majority, far more preferable than a 1996 Clinton-like effort to win over the independents by forging a bipartisan consensus.

Economically, why would we formalize nearly a million new legally authorized workers when unemployment is approaching its 41st consecutive month over 8 percent  especially when Democrats used to label 5.4 percent unemployment as a jobless recovery? Here in California, the slowing of illegal immigration, due mostly to the fence and tough times, has led to steep wage hikes for entry-level and farm labor, and given a little more clout to Americans in so-called unskilled-labor fields. In other words, it really is true that the real beneficiaries of border enforcement are low-paid Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans who become more valued when they are not competing with virtually unlimited numbers of illegal-alien workers.

When you collate this recent act with the class-warfare rhetoric, the punish our enemies threats, the presidents and Eric Holders serial racialist statements, the huge borrowing, the national-security leaks, the takeover of health care, the push for redistributive taxes, and even the trivial appointments like a Van Jones, Anita Dunn, or Armendariz, you can fairly conclude that Obama most certainly did not like the way the United States operated for the last 30 or so years, and has tried his best, through hook or crook, to change America in ways that simply were not possible through legislative or even judicial action. Give the president credit. He has thrown down the gauntlet and essentially boasted: This is my vision of the way the new America should work  and if you dont like it, try stopping me in November, if you dare.

Obama was the greatest thing that could have happened to this country since the end of WWII. He has clearly delineated the line between a totalitarian President and given the citizens a clear choice. He represents the Castro's, Chavez's, Mao's and Stalin's of government as opposed to the democratic method that has run this country since its’ founding. His side represents those that have little or nothing and want what everyone who has has. His pronouncements, actions and those of his cabinet and various departments scream out to those who want a democracy to do something drastic. First, the election in November, second if that doesn't work, especially if this latest executive order on immigration works, God only knows. I can picture the reason for the second amendment. It is both a very sad day for the United States to be represented by such a reprehensible, evil, deceitful, narcissistic individual, and a great day for the clear choice that exists for freedom loving individuals.

11
posted on 06/15/2012 8:10:55 PM PDT
by bramps
(Newt was the one, but Romney will do.)

Zero owns the FBI, CIA and NSA... all the unions are his minions.. all of them..
In the States the Police, Firefighters and Teachers are Unionified.. therefore sycophants..
The mangement of ALL Colleges and Universitys.. even High Schools..
Most Newspapers, Magazines, TV Stations, Cable Systems are drones..

If “the Sheep” DON’T Stampede they are screwed or eaten..
BUT alas they are too scared to stampede..
Silly sheep........

12
posted on 06/15/2012 8:11:04 PM PDT
by hosepipe
(This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole...)

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,  That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Absolutely, and though the phrase was coined by teenagers it was right on the mark. It was coined before the days of PC and the family upbringing was probably the reason for the insight of young people across the country, they tended to know right from wrong.

Sadly, the turkey in the WH wasn't afforded the privilege of that insight and much more sad is the fact this impostor was elected president.

I don’t know about “revolutionary” times, but the country sure seems to be entering some kind of “end” times. From the fiscal insanity of trillion-dollar deficits to the social insanity of forcing the military to celebrate sodomy, to just today’s news of Obama taking dictatorial powers, the downward spiral appears to be accelerating. Looks like we’re getting a front-row seat to the disintegration, and even the prospect of an upcoming election seems to offer no optimism to grasp onto, considering the liberal, big-government candidate the GOP has managed to serve up.

Now is the time for all who love liberty to dedicate themselves to a new understanding of the Constitution's limits on the power of elected representatives, including the President of the United States. The Founders warned that usurpers might sacrifice the Creator-endowed rights and liberties of "the People," in order to assert coercive power over them. That is why they wrote a Constitution which only could be amended as prescribed in the document itself.

Justice Story declared in his "Commentaries on the Constitution . . ." that "the People" are the only Keepers of the Constitution, and if they do not retain that right, but allow a President to flout its provisions and act in violation of its limitations, then freedom will be lost.

This President seems irritated that the Constitution does not allow him to take arbitrary actions to impose policies he believes in. Republicans need to be grounded enough in Constitutional principles to defend the Constitution they swore to uphold, and bold enough to challenge assaults upon those principles.

"Until the people have, by some solemn and authoritative act, annulled or changed the established form, it is binding upon them collectively, as well as individually; and no presumption or even knowledge of their sentiments, can warrant their representatives [the executive, judiciary, or legislature]; in a departure from it prior to such an act."- Alexander Hamilton

In the first of the eighty-five "Federalist Papers," Alexander Hamilton emphasized that:

"... it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection or choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force."

“Im frankly surprised we dont have nutballs being arrested daily trying to do something... stupid.”

The nutballs always seem to be the leftists. Conservatives may gripe, but they almost always stay within the system to try to change things. Without exception the people who would act on or promote illegal and violent means to change government are either leftists or just kooks who have no political identity.

Let me see if I have this straight. Odummer’s decree covers all of those under 30 years of age. (Oh but, it’s for the chiiiiiiildren.) Of course, they will only retain the right to reside and work here. but not to citizenship, so they won’t be able to vote. And of course, our tough voting requirements will ensure they can’t even vo wait a minute. Isn’t Eric Holder suing states who attempt to enact a Voter ID system, and who are cleansing their voter rolls of people who are not eligible to vote??

Go ahead and tell this isn’t by design. Go ahead and try to explain to me how this isn’t a blatant attempt by the left to overthrow rule of law.

Revolutions, coup de tat's, governmental overthrows and the like are very messy affairs. To be effective a lot of heads must roll at numerous places. Most do not have the stomach for it. The local bureaucrat who actually affects the implementation of oppression may well be a relative, married to a friend or someone you have regular dealings with. But this is the head of the hydra that must be removed to clean the slate. Internet railings are easy - but the reality is that all they do is draw attention.

"The founding Fathers would be firing muskets by now"...lets update the weaponry.

Think logistics, communications and control. What. or who, will step into the vacuum created?

I am ready for the breakup... I could be happy as a citizen of the Republic of Texas... maybe they will allow Mississippi to join. I see very little passion amongst the electorate to try and save the Republic that I love... and it appears that we Conservatives have no party and no elected voice. We have Sarah... GOD bless her... but she is only one person. I am praying to GOD for salvation.

This will be no regular rebellion... America is decaying from the progressive cancer that is eating her. She will collapse under her own weight. The revolution will be in rebuilding our Republic and re-instituting the vision of our Founders. The end is coming... the damage has already been done. When the EU collapses... you will see the beginning of the end of our present Republic... the only question is when. We will survive and America will survive... but she will have to rise again like the Phoenix.

[ That said, a person who chooses a course past reason, should also chose carefully his moment and method of rebellion. ]

One sheep farmer told a friend of mine if you hold out a stick and force the first couple of sheep to jump over it..
-Then-;
all the sheep jump even after you remove the stick..
AND he demonstrated it.. and they did...

45
posted on 06/16/2012 1:07:04 AM PDT
by hosepipe
(This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole...)

“If Congress doesnt act, Im all for going to DC to express some Grievances with Mr. Obama.”

Therein is the problem. Congress is part and parcel of the oppressions. Obama merely highlights the fact that the real systemic problem is not so much him personally, but the entire apparatus of the Pustule on the Potomac.

Our real oppressor is not the sock puppet Obama, as it is the entire federal (now globalist) putsch against American Constitutional liberties and the rule of law. People continue to hope for a better emperor, when the real problem is empire itself.

Who guards the guardians? No one.

46
posted on 06/16/2012 3:30:58 AM PDT
by Psalm 144
("I'm not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support. I am who I am." - Willard M Romney)

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